Little Yellow Problem
by LEN NARD
Summary: "WOULD I REALLY GO BACK TO NORMAL IF I DRINK THIS? WOULD MY LEGS AND ARMS REGROW WITH JUST MEDICINE? WHAT IF I FORGET TO DRINK IT? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I SKIP IT?" Well, this happens...
1. Chapter 1

Why is life so cruel? Zenitsu couldn't help but wonder.

He just don't get it. Just what did he do to deserve such awful things happening to him one after another.

He was a dirt poor orphan, wondering everyday exactly how he ended up that way. Did his parents die? Did they abandon him, or something? The only person who knew was the old orphanage lady who took him in, but she died of old age before he could even walk, and the new caretaker doesn't know, so he never learned his origin.

Everyday sucked, day after day they have to work if they don't want to starve. Don't misunderstand, they weren't being forced to or mistreated, not at all. Running an orphanage wasn't cheap, with so many months to feed, everyone has to work together especially if they all want to survive through winter. Looking back, it wasn't really all that bad, but Zenitsu was just human and the mere act of seeing a child being treated to sweets by loving parents makes him ache with envy.

Why can't he have that? Why can't he have doting parents that spoils him with sweets? Life is so unfair.

Everyone hated him, so he doesn't have any friends. They take one look at him and they just seem to decide he was no good. So when a girl said that she liked him, he immediately jump at the chance. He genuinely loved her too, he did everything he could to make her happy, even if deep down he knew it was just a lie. He wasn't nieve, he knew she was just using him, but he didn't care. He was just too desperate for love to even care. But in the end, she too, abandoned him. Running off with another man and leaving him with nothing but a mountain of debt.

And just as he thought that the heavens finally shined on him, finally rewarding him for all the suffering he had endured throughout his life, when a kind old man saved him from his debt and took him in, but that too has been a cruel joke by the gods as it turns out, the old man was a retired demon hunter who wanted to train a successor.

Also, demons are real, turns out.

As if the world wasn't scary enough as it is, it just have to have man eating demons too.

Why, God? Why!?

They were really scary, too. He learned that at the final selection (Which he was forced to participate in, just so you know.) when he saw one for the first time. They were so ugly and scary that he actually passed out.

He was so ready to die that day. He wanted to live up to Gramp's expectations, but he was just so tired of living at that point.

He didn't know why he didn't die that night. He was unconscious so he wouldn't feel himself being eaten. It was perfect! He will finally have peace... But God seems to have decided he was too entertaining to die, as he woke up the next morning unscathed.

Eh? Huh? What? Did another guy get the demon?... And just left him lying unconscious in a demon infested forest!? That asshole! However he or she was, Zenitsu hoped they got eaten.

Also, his whole body hurts that day, for some mysterious reason. That's just what happens when people sleep on the ground, he guess.

Everyday after that is pretty much a series of him fearing for his life and almost dying with the closest call being his last mission where he almost got turned into a spider.

He just wants to be happy, man... Was that too much to ask?

And as if all that pain and suffering wasn't enough, THIS happens.

Zenitsu found himself shaking with fury at the unfairness of it all as he gazed at his reflection at the full size mirror.

What he saw in the reflection wasn't him, but of a little boy that looked shockingly like him.

His fists are clenched hard, his teeth gitted shut.

He was angry, he felt tired.

He was mad, he felt like crying.

He felt cheated, he was furious.

Until, in the deepest, darkest part of his mind, he heard a sound similar to a snap.

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**This is based on a fanart I saw a while back that I couldn't find again for some reason. It was a picture of the Butterfly State girls - and Nezuko, I think - doting on a toddler size Zenitsu.**


	2. Chapter 2

Aoi liked to consider herself a patient woman. Stern, yes, but also quite patient. Despite what people might think, it actually takes a lot to make her mad enough to want to hit someone.

Aoi was having a wonderful time. Today, Kiyo and her had just finished their daily chores earlier than usual and was currently enjoying a relaxing tea break before they have to head back for the boys' rehabilitation training.

Taking a long sip from her cup, Aoi couldn't help but let out a content sigh. Ahh! Truly, there's nothing that could ruin her mood today.

"HIIIYYYAAAAA!" A familiar shrill cry sounded throughout the entire mansion.

Darn it! She spoke too soon...

"Aoi-san." Kiyo said, casting a worried glance towards the infirmary. "Sh-Should we go check on him?" She asked in a tone that suggests she didn't actually want to.

"No," Aoi waved a hand dismissively, taking another sip from her cup. "Just ignore him. It's probably something stupid again like a spider on the wall, or something."

"Zenitsu, what's wrong!? What happened to you!?" Tanjiro's concerned voice could be heard from the recovery ward. "Wait, where did you get that knife? Zenitsu? Hey, what are you doing?- ZENITSU, NO! DON'T DO IT!"

Both girls flinched as thumbling and crashing noises escalated in the distance.

"I don't know, Aoi-san." The little girl commented uncertainly, fidgeting in her seat. "It sounds kind of serious."

The older girl groaned in annoyance, she didn't really want to leave her spot, but stood up regardless. She just couldn't get a break these days!

Aoi was a patient woman, really she was! Ask the other girls and they'll quickly agree. So it surprises her to no end how fast one person could make her want to commit murder via strangulation.

Slamming the infirmary door open, the blue eyed girl was prepared to unleash her fury on the trouble makers... Only for the fire in her throat to die down and replaced with shock and confusion. Just what exactly was she looking at.

In front of her was Tanjiro and an unknown kid, which oddly looked familiar.

The redhead had a panicked look on his face as he appears to trying to stop the knife that the kid had pointed to himself.

"GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!" The kid screamed at the top of his lungs while still trying to impale himself.

"No, Zenitsu!" Tanjiro cried. "You still have so much to live for, please calm down!"

Wait, did he just say Zenitsu? No way!

Just by looking, Aoi estimated the boy to be roughly the same age as the 'triplets'. (The butterfly trio are not actually triplets or related to each other for that matter, but everyone has been calling them that regardless, behind their backs. It actually bothers them a bit.) But the yellow hair with orange tips and the pathetic sob was undeniable, it truly was him!

"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Easy for you to say, you dumb forehead freak! You're not the one who got shrunk!" The hysterical blonde continued to shout, tugging the knife twice as hard, though, his little boy arms were no match for the mountain boy's hard trained muscles. "Why do these kind of crap keep happening to me!? Is this karma!? Did I do something horrible in my previous life!? Either way, I'm sick of it! Let go, Tanjiro! Just let me end it! I'm done with living!"

The water breath user hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Well, if that's what you truly wish..." Tanjiro suddenly let go, propelling the knife straight towards the blonde's heart.

Aoi's eyes widened. "Nooo!"

She just realized that the knife was actually Shinobu's favorite cake knife. If the pillar learned that she had let blood get all over it on her watch, she's dead!

Oh, and she doesn't want Zenitsu to die too, she guess...

Though, her worry was for nothing as the blonde boy managed dodge his own lethal stab at the last second.

"TANJIRO, WHAT THE HELL!" The yellow one raged. "Why'd you let go!? I almost stabbed myself! How could you!? I thought we were friends!"

"Eh?" Tanjiro faltered. "But you said-"

"So!?" Zenitsu interrupted. "It doesn't mean you should just let me kill myself! You should've tried to save me, no match what! That's what friends do!"

It went on for about a minute. Zenitsu screaming, Tanjiro desperately trying to pacify said screaming boy, Inosuke simply remained on his bed unfazed by it all and Aoi watched with twitching eye, honestly considering to herself the pros and cons of actually going on a hunter mission for once in her life like the demon slayer she was supposed to be, just to escape this particular group of swordsmen.

Aoi heaved a tired sigh as she rubbed the area between her eyes, nursing her growing headache. She's so done with them.

The blue eyed girl turned around, about to make make her leave, but fate turns out had other plans, as Shunobu-sama chose that moment to round the corner. Aoi froze on the spot, petrified as the insect pillar made to move in her direction.

"What's with with all the rucus?" Shinobu asked sharply and the twin tailed girl felt a chill run up her spine. The pillar was smiling, as usual, but the edge in her voice and and the various bulging veins pulsing on her normally serene face suggests that she's very pissed right now.

Aoi frantically scrambled for an explanation, but ultimately decided to simply step aside and let the pillar see for herself.

Funnily enough, just like Aoi, all traces of fury immediately left Shinobu the moment her eyes locked on the tiny yellow problem.

"Oh, dear."

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**Chapter 1 has been edited, just to let you guys know. Nothing major was changed, but it should sound better better than it did before, I'm sure you'd be pleased if you decide to read it again.**


	3. Chapter 3

Half an hour later and they finally managed to calm the hysterical blonde down... via karate chop to the neck, administered professionally by local tender love and care provider, Shinobu-chan. (Kocho Chops! If you want a break, hit their neck! If symptoms persists, strike their heads instead.) And now, everyone, that is to say, Tanjiro, Aoi and Shinobu, (Inosuke stayed in bed.) found themselves in the insect pillar's private clinic where Zenitsu will be further examined. (As soon as he regained consciousness, of course. After all, it's not right to poke around someone's body without their permission, no matter how irritating they are. Thankfully, it didn't take very long.)

"Hmm, fascinating." Shinobu hummed to no one in particular as she peeked inside the blonde boy's mouth.

"What is it, Shinobu-san?" Tanjiro asked, taking initiative since he felt kind of guilty about letting go earlier. "Did you figure out why he suddenly looks like a kid?"

"What's wrong with me!?" Zenitsu piped up, paranoia taking over, as usual. "Is it serious? Is there a cure!? Am I dying!? Nooo!" The blonde gripped his hair as he started to have another shouting fit.

"You're being awfully noisy, Zenitsu-kun." The insect pillar was smiling, but the hand poised in a chopping position was sending a different message. "Maybe I should silence you again."

"EEEEE!" Zenitsu squeaked. "No! I'll be quiet, please don't hurt me!"

"A wise decision." Shinobu nodded and returned her gaze towards the redhead. "Now, to answer your question, Tanjiro. I have a theory." She turned her attention once again, this time, at the blonde boy. "Tell me, Zenitsu, how often did you take your medication?"

The yellow one stiffened, eyes looking at everything except the pillar's.

"Zen-kun?" She asked again, sweetly. "You did follow our instructions to take the medicine five times a day and lots of sunlight, right?"

The boy remained quiet, sill refusing eye contact.

"Please answer me." Shinobu spoke once more, but this time, a vein popped out on her forehead and the chopping hand has returned, promising pain if he continued to ignore her.

Zenitsu immediately curled in terror. "I drank the medicine one to three time every few days! Please don't hit me!"

The vein on her head increased to three, but the hand remained in place. "And sunlight?"

The boy twiddled with his fingers. "I, uh, I'm kind of been sneaking out while Tanjiro, Inosuke and the girls are busy with training... To watch Nezuko-chan in her sleep."

"You what!" Tanjiro cried horrified, honestly a bit disturbed.

"You mean, the only room in the mansion devoid of sunlight." There's a demon levels amount of veins on Shinobu's face now and her raised hand trembling with pent up rage, barely holding herself back from striking the probably soon to be dead moron.

"Um... Yeah." The boy admitted, blushing bashfully.

That did it for Shinobu.

She was about to pass righteous judgement upon the yellow fool, if Aoi hadn't beaten her to it.

"YOU IDIOT!" The twin tailed girl shouted, smacking Zenitsu hard in the head. "You absolute moron! How could you be this stupid!? What were you thinking!? Damn you!" Aoi then turned towards the older woman. "I apologise, Kochou-sama, this is all my fault! If only I had been sterner with him, then this wouldn't have happened."

"No need for that, dear. I'm sure you tried your best." Shinobu assured. "Some people are just beyond help."

"Hey, I resent that!" The blonde snapped. They ignored him.

"And if I'm being honest, a part of me is actually kind of happy that this happened to him." The pillar confessed.

"So mean!" Zenitsu cried. "I'm right here you know! I can hear everything you're saying!"

"And if you had just taken your medicine like we told you to, then you wouldn't be a ten year old child right now." Shinobu remained unsympathetic and Aoi nodded along in agreement.

The blonde boy looked at the redhead for sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Zenitsu." Tanjiro smiled awkwardly. "You really kind of did this to yourself."

"Well, can you blame me?" The blonde argued. "That medicine tasted horrible, absolutely disgusting!"

"Surely you're just exaggerating." Aoi scoffed dismissively. "None of the other victims were complaining."

"That's because they're tongues got morphed, they can't taste anything!" Zenitsu shot back. "Seriously, have you even tasted the medicine before?"

Aoi looked uncertainly. "Well, no. I never had a reason to before."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Tanjiro commented, curiously eyeing the aforementioned concoction in his hand. He had brought a cup along, just in case they'd need it.

The redhead took a tiny sip... And immediately tarted gagging.

Zenitsu was right! The smell was totally misleading! How was this even possible!? It smelled just like any other medicinal tea, yet the flavor somehow reached a whole new level of bitterness that really shouldn't be possible in this reality!

"See, see!" Zenitsu gestured wildly at the overtly disgusted water breather. "I told you! Even Tanjiro is can't stand it!"

"W-Well, you should've endured it anyway!" Aoi stuttered, obviously unwilling to admit they're in the wrong. "You just lack resolve."

"Can we do anything about this, Shinobu-san?" Tanjiro deliberately spoke up, before the two could start an all out argument.

The pillar's smile turned apologetic. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for Zenitsu now. The transformation is complete, the poison is already gone. He'll just have to grow up again like any other normal child would."

Tanjiro was actually talking about the medicine, but he nodded in acknowledgement regardless. His friend comes first.

"Oh no!" The blonde panicked once again. "What should I do!? What should I do!? I can't fight like this! I could barely survived fighting demons before, I'll be killed now for sure!" He was about to do his signature crying in hysterics routine, when a briliant realisation struck his brain. "I... Can't fight like this... Which means I... Have to quit the demon hunter Corp." His face quickly morphed into unrestrained expression of joy. "I can quit! I finally have a good excuse! Haha! At last, I'm free!"

Zenitsu felt so happy, he could just cry! No more fearing for his life! No more being hurt and almost dying. This is the happiest day of his life! Nothing could ruin this for him.

"Good for you Zen-kun!" Shinobu congratulated the elated boy as she absentmindedly wrote something on a piece of paper. "Here you go..."

"Hm? What's this?" Zenitsu asked, staring at the five digit number written on the paper.

The pillar smiled cutely. "It's your hospital bill!" She stated cheerfully.

A heavy silence descended in the room as Zenitsu's brain processed what the beautiful woman had just said.

"EEEHHH!?"

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**Well, here it is. Chapter 3... Oh geez, what am I suppose here?**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hm? What's this?" Zenitsu asked, staring at the five digit number written on the paper.

The pillar smiled cutely. "It's your hospital bill!" She stated cheerfully.

A heavy silence descended in the room as Zenitsu's brain processed what the beautiful woman had just said.

"EEEHHH!?"

"Yes!" Shinobu beamed. "You see, while I don't charge demon slayers for doctor's fee, the medicine you needed to recover are expensive, so we have a special installment plan for demon hunters where we take an agreeable cut of their salary, with zero interest." The pillar explained. "But since you're not a demon slayer anymore..." Her lips formed a happy little smile. "I can squeeze every last penny out of Zen-kun, without restraint!"

How could she say that with such a happy face? Tanjiro stared at the butterfly lady with shocked disbelief. She didn't even try to hide it!

"I wish we could treat you all for free, believe me, I really do." The pillar let out a sigh, too dramatic to be sincere. "But sadly, the world revolves around money these days. Most of the ingredients and equipment I use to making and researching cures had to be imported from far away places all over Japan and sometimes, even from foreign countries overseas. Not to mention food, hygiene and other necessities like disinfectants and bandages."

"Noooo!" Zenitsu shouted in dispare. "Not again, not again! I can't be in debt again! I changed my mind, I'll keep being a hunter!"

"I'm afraid, that's not possible." Shinobu disagreed. "I simply cannot, in good conscience, send a weak child like you out there in the battlefield."

So she does care! Zenitsu felt like he's about to cry.

"At least, not until you pay what you owe us."

Shinobu-san, why? This time, Zenitsu actually cried.

"Unless..." The pillar trailed off, playfully baiting one of them to speak.

Tanjiro was the one to ask. "What is it, Shinobu-san? Please tell us."

"Well," She started. "If he can prove that he can still fight and defeat demons, then I'll allow it."

Zenitsu gulped. For some reason, he had the feeling he wouldn't like what the woman was about to suggest. "What... What do you want me to do?"

"Tell me, boys." The woman's smile widened, which did not help ease Zenitsu's forboding feeling at all. "Can the two of you use full focus breathing... Continuously for an entire day?"

Zenitsu suddenly felt his will to live draining once again.

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"Why did you lie to him, Shinobu-san?" Aoi asked moments after the eager Tanjiro dragged the not quite so eager Zenitsu outside. "About having to pay a bill, I mean."

The truth was, they don't actually charge money at all towards any demon hunter or demon victims they give treatment to. While what the butterfly lady had said about importing ingredients and other necessities were true, the Kocho and Ubuyashiki pharmaceutical businesses easily covers any cost required for that.

"Did you know," Shinobu said. "That little old Zenitsu, is actually trained by former Hashira?"

Aoi's eyes widened in shock. "He's a Tsugoku!?" That guy? Him? Seriously!? No way!

Former or not, being trained personally by a Hashira was considered quite a prestige among demon slayer. Being chosen alone was something worth bragging about. You need a prodigious amount of skills and talent to be a candidate and even then, there's no guarantee you'll get picked.

"I don't think that Tsugoku is quite the right term." The insect pillar replied offhandedly. "He was never officially declared a successor, but he is indeed, a disciple of the former Thunder Pillar, Jigoro Kuwajima."

Thunder!? That yellow crybaby uses thunder breathing!? One of the oldest and most powerful technique in hunter history? What the hell!

Thunder breathing is one of the more advanced styles you can learn. They say that the training regime was so brutal that throughout history, there has only been a handful of swordsmen who had mastered it. And you're saying that Zenitsu was one of them? Again, what the hell!

Aoi must have been making a ridiculous face as the older woman chuckled. "Yes, I was quite sceptical myself." Pulling a folder from a drawer and handing to Aoi, she continued. "So I did a little digging on him. The results were intriguing, to say the least."

Aoi reluctantly peered inside. It doesn't seem to be a medical file, so they're not committinging any doctor patient confidentiality violations.

Written inside were a little bit of his history and records of his activity as a demon slayer.

Zenitsu Agatsuma; age: 16 (formerly); family: unknown...

Orphan, huh? Did his family got killed by demons too? Aoi couldn't help but wonder.

Trained in the Thunder Breathing style, though, only managed to master the first form.

Well, that's more believable, she suppose. Aoi was honestly impressed That he mastered one at all. "Wait, they sent him to the final selection knowing only one form?" She shudder to think what kind of cruel, sadistic master would do such a thing. The blonde's paranoia might be justified, after all.

The other woman simply smiled. "Keep reading."

Aoi sighed, Zenitsu obviously survived the selection, so there's no point thinking about it now. Huh, maybe he wasn't a complete slouch as they originally thought.

Following the older one's order, Aoi returned her gaze at the file... And did a double take as what she had read could not be possible!

"Killed over a dozen demons!? One hundred percent success rate, five stars, would recommend!?"

There's clearly something wrong with that part of the report. Over a dozen? Even Kanao hasn't killed that many demons, yet.

"I assure you, everything in that file is confirmed facts." Shinobu affirmed.

"What about the mission at Natagumo mountain?" Aoi asked, desperate to find some proof that the mango collored boy wasn't some sort of God. "Didn't you save him from a demon there?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but he defeated that one too." The pillar smiled apologetically. "Numerous kakushis testified that they saw him, quote, strike the eight legged monster down as if he were lightning, while under the effects of poison."

Aoi shook her head in disbelief, she doesn't know what's real anymore. "So you want him to remain a hunter, then?" She asked instead. "Are you planning to raise him as a Tsugoku?" The pillar stared at her confusedly for a second before she burst into laughter.

"Oh heavens, no!" Shinobu continued to laugh, wiping at her eyes as she continued. "Aoi-chan, I didn't know you had a sense of humor."

Crossing her arms, Aoi turned away from the older one with a huff, hiding her embarrassed blush.

"Aw, don't be like that. Your guess is actually pretty close." The pillar coaxed the pouting girl to look at her again. "While I have no intention of training him personally, there's no denying that he have potential. Weather or not he pass my little test, I want to help him overcome whatever it is that's holding him back from becoming his strongest self, and who knows," Shinobu leapt out of her seat, giving the younger girl a playful hug from behind. "Maybe he can help you break through your fears, as well."

"I doubt it." Aoi whispered under her breath, her lips forming a bitter line.

Releasing her hold from the blue eyed girl, Shinobu gave the girl a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll be fine." She began to move towards the door when her eyes cought sight of the anti demon curse medicine left by the redhead boy at her table. "Now, what to do with you..."

Tracing where the pillar was looking at, Aoi spoke. "Tell me honestly, Shinobu-san, did you even try to taste it before?"

The pillar shook her head. "I haven't, no."

"Do you... want to try to?" The younger one suggested cautiously.

Shinobu gave the other a sideways glance. "I'll do it if you would."

Aoi heaved a sigh, but poured half of the medicine into another cup anyways. "Well, here goes nothing..."

Giving each a toast, the two moved the cups towards their lips.

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"Where could they be?" Kiyo asked out loud. After Aoi left, the little pink nurse girl decided to seek out Sumi and Naho, you know, for back up. Totally not buying herself a some time from dealing with the most difficult patient she had ever encountered in her entire life.

Nope, totally not.

Though, by the time the three of them reached the infirmary, everyone's already gone. Inosuke-sama seems to be resting (Or ignoring them, it's hard to tell with the mask.), so they decided to just let him be.

The three of them has been searching the entire mansion for about a while now and still couldn't find the others. They're honestly starting to get worried.

"Y-You don't think something bad happened to them, do you, Naho?" The pink one asked nervously.

"Oh no!" Sumi, the blue one, exclaimed in panic. "What if they're hurt! What are we gonna do!"

"Calm down, you two." The green one, Naho, shushed her companions. "Shinobu-sama's with them, so I'm sure they won't do anything stupid."

She immediately ate those words when she slid the clinic door open and found two women, laid unconscious Romio and Juliet style on the floor with two shattered cups nearby and strange liquid leaking out of their mouths.

"Shunobu-sama, Aoi-san, no!"

"Poison! They drank poison!"

"Please wake up! Don't go towards the light!"

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	5. Chapter 5

Putting in effort was not something that comes easily for Zenitsu, and that's especially true when it comes to training. He knew in his mind that he should probably work harder if wants to succeed, but the harder he tries, the faster he wants to give up. It was just difficult for him to maintain motivation.

It only makes sense though, right? No one likes pain, no one likes being exhausted and no one likes being in pain and exhausted again and again for hours everyday.

So as he watched Tanjiro do push ups in the backyard, Zenitsu couldn't help but be amazed... And also a little pissed off.

"567... 568... 569..."

Seriously, the redhead was just showing off at this point!

It really irritates him how Tanjiro could make giving maximum effort look so... Effortless, while here he was, breathless on the ground, already unable to move.

It sucks! It really, really sucks! At this point, he wouldn't be able to master full focus breathing constant, which means he wouldn't be able to rejoin the corps. He wouldn't be able to pay off his debt, and then they would make him... They would make him... Their slave.

Somehow that scares him more than being thrown into the frontlines once again. The sinister looking smile on Shinobu face whenever they cross paths, probably had something to do with it.

It's no use! He slammed a fist to the ground in frustration. His little boy lungs just couldn't handle full focus breathing anymore! Heck, he couldn't use any breaths at all! He would lose consciousness seconds after he tries.

And his lungs wasn't just the only problem. Oh no. His entire body is pathetically weak! Weaker than when he started training with the old man!

Most of his muscle mass was gone and the flexibility of his joints was lost. It's as if his whole body has been reset! And now, he has to start from scratch all over again.

Maybe he should just ask Gramps for help again...

No! He shook his head. The old man would undoubtedly hold it over his head as an excuse to train him twice as hard.

He let out a tired sigh. Maybe it's for the best that he should just give up. There's just no way he could do it in time.

Zenitsu continued to lie on the ground for a while, appreciating how quiet the everything was at that moment.

Another thing that changed when his body transformed into a child... His hearing ability seems to have become average now.

He doesn't know exactly what happened. He was sure that it was still there when he woke up as a child, but he thinks it disappeared around the he heard... A snap.

He honestly don't know what to feel about that. His freakish ability to hear everything had brought him all sorts of greaf in the past, but at the same time, it was something that was always there that not having it just felt strange.

It reminds him of that time he got hit by lightning and couldn't hear anything at all because of the loud blast. If his stong sense of hearing could recover from being ruptured, surely it could recover from this, eventually.

It still feels kind of weird though, it's so quiet! He couldn't even hear Tanjiro counting anymore.

Zenitsu brought his gaze back towards the other boy's direction... And immediately jumped up in shock to find the redhead passed out face first on the ground.

His own fatigue forgotten, Zenitsu came rushing towards his unconscious companion. "Hey, Tanjiro! Oi, you okay?"

The other boy remained unconscious, though he seems to be mumbling something in his sleep. "... N... Ne... Nezu...ko..."

Uppon hearing that, all the annoyance and envy Zenitsu felt earlier for the redhead suddenly vanished.

Staring at the sleeping water breather, the blonde felt like he was starting to have an idea how Tanjiro could endure all the pain and exertion of training, how he could do it over and over and over again without giving up.

A reason to fight... That's what Zenitsu lacks.

The desire to turn his sister back into a human, gives Tanjiro the will power necessary to fight on. For Nezuko, he could push through any obstacle that comes their way.

But Zenitsu doesn't want to become a demon slayer in the first place. How could one put effort at something that he lacks any sort motivation for?

He'll just have to figure it out later as the redheaded boy shortly regained consciousness. "Zenitsu?"

"Good morning." The blonde simply stated.

Tanjiro held a hand at his temple, hoping to quell the dizziness he was feeling. "Ugh, what happened?"

Helping the other boy on his feet, Zenitsu replied. "You overdid it, I think, and passed out on the floor."

"How long was I out?" Tanjiro inquired.

Zenitsu shrugged. "Not long, I guess, about a minute or so."

"Oh." The water breather began. "I should get back to training, then."

"You should rest." The blonde cut off.

"But-"

"No need to rush," Zenitsu interrupted. "If you over exert yourself, you might have to stay here longer. I'm sure Nezuko would say the same."

The two simply stared at each other for a few seconds before the redhead finally relented.

Tanjiro sighed. "Yeah... You're probably right." He began to make his way back inside the house, but paused when the blonde didn't make to follow. "Zenitsu, aren't you coming?"

The blonde boy waved a hand in negative. "I'm already rested, so I think I'm just gonna stay here and train for a bit, I'll catch up soon."

Tanjiro nodded in understanding and resumed to make his way inside. Zenitsu's gaze lingered on the redhead for a while until he disappeared in a corner.

"That's awfully nice of you, looking after your friend like that." A feminine voice suddenly spoke up, startling the blonde boy.

Zenitsu managed to hold back his scream. He didn't hear her at all, she came out of nowhere!

A drawback of losing his hearing ability. Being able to hear people approach a mile a way (sometimes, quite literally, if he strained hard enough.), made sneaking up on him almost impossible.

Turning towards the source of the voice, Zenitsu was stunned. He swear he heard his heart skip a beat.

Smiling playfully at him was one of the prettiest girl he had ever seen, rivaling even Nezuko-chan in beauty! Zenitsu estimated her to be close to his age (His original age, that is.) and judging by the uniform she was wearing, she's a demon hunter as well. Her hair was held back in an updo that you would expect from regular civilian and not a battle ready warrior, A single blue butterfly ornament holding everything in place.

It took a couple of seconds before Zenitsu found his voice again. "Who are you?" He tilted his head curiously. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Oh, don't mind me, just passing by." She giggled softly. "I'm more curious about you."

"Me?" The blonde asked, pointing a confused finger at himself.

"Yes!" The mysterious lady nodded enthusiastically. "Did Kocho-san adopted another little one?"

"Um, no." He answered, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "I'm one of their patients." And future man servant, he didn't add.

"Oh." The girl's expression suddenly fell. "So, your parents got killed by demons too, huh?"

He gave the lady an incredulous look. "What? No!" Or at least, he didn't think so. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case though at this point to be honest. Demons seems to be out to get everyone's parents these days, for some reason.

"Really? That's new..." The woman looked genuinely surprised. "I heard you talking about training earlier, so I just assumed. Every demon hunter wants revenge for their parents or siblings these days, for some reason."

Yes, his thoughts exactly...

"So," The lady continued. "If you don't want avenge anyone, then why do you want to become a demon slayer?"

"I..." He opened his mouth to speak, but found himself at a loss.

"You don't know..." She answered for him and Zenitsu had to turn away, too ashamed of his inadequacy.

Sure, he currently wants to get out of debt, but is that really enough?

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll figure it out." She smiled encouragingly. "I'll be cheering for you, okay?"

She sounded so sure, like she truly believed that he could do it. He honestly felt kind of guilty, her trust is only wasted on someone as pathetic as him... But he would be lying if he said that didn't make him really happy.

He turned back, about to thank the nice lady, but was surprised to find the woman already gone.

Zenitsu sighed. "Didn't even tell me her name...'

"Um... Excuse me."

This time, he actually screamed... And three little girls flinched back in response.

Oh, it's just the triplets. Zenitsu exhaled. Now he's starting to miss his super hearing. For even those three to sneak up on him, it's just embarrassing.

"Sorry," he finally addressed the girls. "What is it?"

The three blushed and fidgeted shyly for a moment, wait for one another to take the initiative. In the end, it was the pink one that spoke. "W-We just want to ask where Tanjiro-san went. He... He was with you earlier..."

"He just went back inside to the infirmary." He gestured towards the house. "If you hurry, you might be able to catch him."

The three immediately brighten up. They didn't have to search the entire mansion again, after all!

"We will! Thank you very much!" The three piped up in perfect unison, even bowing together in gratitude at the same time.

And they wonder why people keeps mistaking them as triplets.

Not wasting any time, the three took off towards the medical ward, at least, until the pink one paused in her tracks and came rushing back towards the blonde.

"We... We made some rice balls, please take one." She offered after a bit of hesitation.

The boy felt hasitant, but did as suggested. "Um... Thank you?"

The girl only gave a timid nod in reply, before retreating once more

Zenitsu watched in confusion.

"What was that about?"

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	6. Chapter 6

Today, Zenitsu got the crap beaten out of him by Aoi...

The little thunder breather groaned in pain, nursing a painful bruise on his head. He let out a sigh. He's currently hiding up on one of the trees scattered within the butterfly state, waiting for the situation to die down.

"AGATSUMA!" The furious sound of Aoi's voice sounded from somewhere inside the mansion. "STOP HIDING AND SHOW YOURSELF, YOU LITTLE PERV!"

"Aoi-san, please calm down!" Tanjiro, ever the diplomat, pleaded at the angry woman. "And please put your sword away, you might hurt someone!"

"That's the point!" The blue eyed girl snapped. "They'll never find the body once I get my hands on him!"

Zenitsu began to sweat. Yeah... This could probably take a while.

Yes, girls beating him up in a fit of rage wasn't really something new when it comes to him, and he admit, those incidents were partially his fault (They're entirely his fault.), But this time, it was an accident, he swear!

After days of observation with no abnormalities or hidden side effects, the insect pillar finally deemed it safe to let the yellow haired boy join in on the mysterious rehabilitation training from hell.

He scoffed. They didn't know how good they had it. Coming back from training, looking like they're about to die, making him think they were making them run all day with a basket full of rocks. Those jerks.

He was honestly planning on dragging the bastards outside and quite vocally give them a piece of his mind, if not for the steel like gaze that Kanao was aiming at him. The condescending smile she usually held was gone, replaced instead with a displeased frown.

She just stood there staring... Watching... Like she was peering right inside his soul... He gulped. He doesn't know what's gotten into her or why she's looking at him like that, but it's really making him nervous.

In the end, he just went on with the training without causing any fuss.

It all went pretty well at the start. The flexibility massage didn't really bother him all that much, the joy he felt from being touched by cute little girls overpowered any pain he might have felt. (Don't judge.) And he managed to win against Aoi at the reflex game, as well. It was a close battle and it took a considerable amount of effort now that he's smaller, but he still did it. He was a gentleman about it, though and decided not to splash his opponent, he even gave her one of his killer smiles!

She was not impressed.

Zenitsu felt good, his confidence and morale began to rise. All that training he did for the past few days wasn't for nothing, he was actually improving! Maybe he actually have a chance at passing the pillar's test, after all!

Of course, that's when his luck decided to strike once again, as everything started to go downhill during the full body training.

He was about to win again, with both his hands stretched forward, about to touch the blue eyed girl. He was aiming for her back, believe him, he really, truly was, but it seems that he still wasn't as accustomed to his new body yet as he originally thought.

Just for a moment, he honestly forgot his legs were shorter now. Taking another step, he expected his foot to touch the floor a lot sooner, only to step on empty air, causing him to quite literally, lose his footing.

The momentum continued to carry him forward and the natural pull of gravity caused his hands to land somewhere a lot lower than his initial target... Right at Aoi's lovely ass, to be precise.

And if you thought it ended there, then you are sorely mistaken for it did not, in fact, end there. As much as he wished it did.

Humans have these unconscious reflexes that triggers automatically during certain events to avoid getting hurt. A hand would jerk back when it touches something very hot, while the eyes closes whenever something comes near the face.

And a falling person would try to stabilize themselves by grabbing on to something. That 'something' in this case, just so happens to be Aoi's pants and you can pretty much guess what happened next.

Zenitsu fell down... and the pants came down with him.

If only he knew, he would've told you what everyone else saw in that room, but a powerful kick to the head sent him flying out of the dojo before he could even look up and his self preservation instincts, born from vast experience with angry females, told him that he should run and hide immediately before she finishes putting her pants back on.

And that brings us back to the present. He signed. "Why do the gods hate me so much?"

"Whine and complain, is that all you know how to do?" An irrate sounding feminine voice said from nearby, causing the blonde boy's heart to freeze. Frantically looking around, he managed to track the source of the voice.

Sat cross legged on nearby branch was another unknown, but attractive, hunter lady. Her long black hair was done in a simple ponytail tied with a redish brown butterfly hair tie of some sort.

"How disappointing." Looking down at him as if he were some dirt she scraped off of her boot, she continued. "When I heard Kocho-san got herself a little brother, I expected someone with lot more spine."

"For the hundredth time, I'm not her brother! Why the hell does everyone keeps saying that!?" He screamed in outrage.

After seeing him around the mansion a couple of times, the kakushis that frequent the state, unaware of the real situation, came to their own conclusion that he's somehow l the insect pillar's new little brother, which quickly spread throughout the hunter rumor mill.

"Also, did you just call me a coward!?" He continued. "I'll have you know, I have plenty of spine!"

"Oh?" The girl arched a brow. "Why are you hiding, then?"

Well... Crap, she got him there.

"W-Well, you don't have to be so mean about it!" He retorted as a desperate attempt at a comeback. "You can't just randomly appear out of nowhere and start talking crap at people, even if you're cute, hot and drop dead gorgeous in general, it doesn't give you the right to! What are you doing here in the first place!"

That did more than he had expected as the girl suddenly blushed furiously and started stammering. "W-W-What are you implying!? I'm just passing by It's not like I came here because I'm interested to know more about you, or anything! A-And your complements didn't make me happy at all, not in the slightest!" She crossed her arms and turned away with a huff, clearly suppressing her lipy from curling upwards.

Zenitsu stared. He felt strange, like he just witnessed something of universal significance, but was ironically too old to truly understand.

He didn't have time to ponder it further as a chill suddenly crept up his spine.

"Found you..." From below, Aoi's voice was laced with cold silend rage. "Prepare to die."

His instincts screamed at him to quickly get out of there and good thing he did too, because not a second later, the branch he was on got suddenly sliced to pieces.

Holy crap! Did she just jumped!? She managed to reach him from way up there in a single leap! Scary! That's right, she was a demon slayer too, wasn't she? Crap!

Zenitsu landed on his butt and immediately scrambled to run, only for the blue eyed girl to block his path. He turned towards the other way, but Kanao was already there to catch him.

Desperate for help, he turned his gaze back up the tree, hoping the still unnamed girl could rescue him, only to find she's already gone. What the hell!

Trapped between two well trained and lethally armed women with nowhere to run, Zenitsu had no other choice but to accept his fate. He always knew it would end like this, with him pissing off a girl and being brutally murdered by said girl.

Aoi was uppon him, ready to impart righteous punishment for his crime against her honor as a woman... Or at least, she was, until Tsuyuri Kanao did something very unexpected.

She snatched him up and ran away... Leaving a very stunned and very confused Aoi.

"What... The hell just happened?"

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**Sorry for the delay on update, I got infected with pink eyes and looking at a screen and brightness in general was agonizing. It's much better now, still a bit itchy, but it'll be gone soon, now.**

**Something weird has happened with Chapter five. For some reason, all the paragraph spacing was erased. I was sure it was normal when I copy paste and saved it, I only found out hours after the update. It's fixed now, though, so sorry for the inconvenience. Also****, there's something important I have to tell you guys.**

**I did a mistake in the last chapter and had to change something in it. To put it precisely, I changed exactly ONE word in it. That's right, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. Only. One. Word. But I wouldn't point it out if it wasn't important.**

**Let's just say, it's a pretty big give away that might clue in the people that read colored version of the manga on some stuff.**

**Anyway, thanks you all for still reading this despite it's short chapters and my admittedly lackluster writing skills. I'll try to update faster and faster, but no promises.**


	7. Chapter 7

For a long time, Kanao thought she doesn't have any desire of her own, and that would be true most of the time.

Most people thinks of her as cold, empty, unfeeling and incapable of functioning without orders... that she doesn't have any emotions, whatsoever.

But that's not true at all.

She's not some kind of machine; she's a human girl and like all girls, she have feelings too.

She felt loss when their big sister Kanae died, she felt sadness when Shinobu started hiding her true feelings behind a fake smile... And she felt a pang of irrational jealousy everytime passing kakushis gossip about her master training another student.

Don't get her wrong, she knew all of it was nothing but false rumors; if the insect pillar did take on a new disciple, Shinobu would have personally informed her about it. But still, the thought of someone taking her master's attention away from her was stirring up all sorts unpleasant feelings inside her.

She never met this... Boy... They speak of, she heard that he mostly frequent the area around the recovery wards and she simply doesn't have a reason, nor the desire, to go anywhere near the place.

She decided not to think of it too much, it's just a rumor after all, so there's nothing to worry about and for days, that's what she did... Until her master randomly announced one day that the boy would start participating on the stamina rebuilding training.

What does it mean?

She understand Kamado and the pig guy, they're promising demon hunters worthy enough to be trained personally by them, but what reason could her master have for allowing a little kid in on such a training? She believes in her master and trusts that she would tell her something as important as getting a new disciple, but she can't hold back her looming doubt.

Was Shimobu-sama actually keeping secrets from her? Was she trying to build up the boy's foundations in preparation for the intense training that's about to come? She remembered having to go through something similar when she herself was a child.

She haven't even met this boy and she already hates him.

Her master was busy enough as it is! She's not like the other girls, fighting's the only thing she had shown talent for, so the only way she could actually bond with her adoptive big sister was during training sessions and missions, and the thought of what little time she could spend with her master being divided even more was upsetting to say the least.

For the longest time, Kanao thought she doesn't have any desire of her own, and that would be true most of the time.

Most people thinks of her as cold, empty, unfeeling and incapable of functioning without orders... that she doesn't have any emotions, whatsoever. But that's not true at all.

She's not some kind of machine; she's a human girl and like all girls, she have feelings too.

And earlier today, when she saw him for the first time... It was breathtaking.

Adorable! He's so unbelievably cute! She could feel her heart turning into warm gooey fluff!

What's happening to her!? She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to protect him, feed him and keep him warm in her embrace. He looked so scared, so uncertain, she really wants to go and comfort him. Should she?

She reached with almost desperate speed inside her pocket, figuring it was a good time to decide via coin, only to feel a cold sensation in her stomach when she didn't find one. She cursed her past self for leaving the coin behind, foolishly assuming she won't need to decide on anything during the rehab training.

All she could do was frown as she stared at the yellow haired boy with disappointment.

Disappointment... She's... actually disappointed.

Why?

She remembered adoring the triplets when she met them for the first time, but she didn't felt as strongly for them before as she did with him. Why is that?

Her musing was cut short as the boy met her gaze... And shied away timidly at the attention.

So precious!

Her frown deepen. From now on, she'll make sure to bring a coin wherever she goes. Two coins! One on each pocket! She won't repeat that mistake again.

The training proceeded as normal, she watched the boy go through the steps and she have to say, he exceeded her expectations, she's actually impressed.

He showed an amazingly high pain tolerance at the triplets' massage and reflexes that already matches Aoi's.

For a kid, he certainly has talent. She's starting to see now why her master would take an interest in him.

And he's incredibly fast! Managing to get behind Aoi in seconds! Though, it seems that his coordination still needs some work as he did a magnificent flop on the game of tag.

Huh, so Aoi went commando for today. Nothing she and the girls hadn't seen before during bath times.

The same couldn't be said for the guys, though.

"Wait, why does her crotch look different than mine?" Inosuke tactlessly wondered out loud, causing Tanjiro to cry.

"Gah! Inosuke, avert your eyes! How can you even see in that mask!?"

Good question, she's been wondering herself.

That seems to have kick-started Aoi's brain back on as she quickly pulled her pants up and sent the poor boy flying out of the dojo, creating a kid size hole in the wall.

She suddenly felt a protective anger towards the twint tailed girl. Does she really have to hit him that hard? You don't need her gifted eyesight to see it was an accident.

But then again, Aoi wouldn't be able to see it from behind now, does she?

The boy exceeded their expectations once again as he recovered from the hit not even a second later and fled. It seems that he's also incredibly sturdy.

She hoped for his sake that it would help him survive what's coming next, because as a butterfly sister, she's obligated to take Aoi's side in this.

What a shame, she really liked him, too...

They managed to corner the boy half an hour later near the laundry poles. She had no idea what he think he was doing, but He really should've kept his voice down, maybe he could've bought himself a few hours before Aoi finds him.

And also, maybe consider changing hair colors. She actually found him twenty minutes before Aoi did, but chose to keep quiet about it because... Reasons. Maybe it was just her eyesight at works, but that bright yellow really gives him away.

Kanao didn't have the time to ponder as Aoi approached the boy, she found herself starting to feel conflicted. There's just something about this that's really bugging her.

She's almost positively sure that Aoi wouldn't kill or injure him seriously, probably, maybe.

But this situation, this scenario, it almost seems... Familiar...

Aoi raised her hand, about to deliver a painful strike and the boy could do nothing but watch the incoming pain with terrified eyes.

Then, at that moment, Kanao's breath hitched as everything clicked into place.

An angry man... Raised arm... Fist coming towards her face...

... Pain.

It happened in a flash. For the first time in a long time, Kanao did something she she thought she couldn't do again.

She made a choice.

Wrapping her arms around the boy's torso and ran away as fast as she could.

They got a few seconds headstart before the blue eyed girl began to pursue, and to everyone's surprise, Aoi seems to be catching up.

Normally, the twin tailed girl would be no match against Kanao, but running while holding a little boy like a teddy bear, really throws off her center of gravity.

And that vision... No, that memory... It rattled her so much that she actually have trouble breathing. She can't maintain her full focus breath!

It was so terrifying! For a moment, for just that brief instant... She actually felt pain again... Or rather, she remembered the sensation of that pain.

That's why she was drawn to him! This boy, this child, his eyes, she had seen them before... It was a reflection of her own.

There's no denying it. This boy, whoever he is, he's the same as her, except, he hasn't fully let go yet. Most of the fibers had already snapped, but there's still one thread desperately refusing to be cut.

He's close, she has to protect him! She can't let him be hurt anymore than he already was!

She doesn't want him to end up like her!

With a newfound resolve, she pushed herself to even her breath. With a burst of speed, they managed to lose Aoi.

Only to come face to face with an irrate looking insect pillar.

"I heard there was a perverted monkey that's in need of punishment." Shinobu said, her smile sickeningly sweet. "Thank you for catching him for me, dear!"

Kanao narrowed her eyes and clutch the boy protectively. Don't worry, Onee-chan will protect you no matter what.

One second, two secon-

"Here you go..." She obediently and respectfully surrendered the boy, the pressure proven to be too much.

It's one thing to go against Aoi, but it seems that she doesn't have what it takes to disobey her master, just yet.

"What!? Nooo!" Zenitsu began to struggle, to no effect.

Baby steps, Kanao... Baby steps.

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	8. Chapter 8

Alright, never trust Tsuyuri Kanao ever again. Zenitsu mentally noted as he found himself in yet another potentially painful situation.

"A duel!?" He croaked in fear.

"Between you and Aoi, yes." Was the insect pillar's cheerful reply.

They are currently back inside the dojo with him and Aoi kneeled in front of the pillar and everyone else watched worriedly in the sidelines.

"But why!?" Zenitsu continued. "I told you, it was an accident!"

"Yes, you did." Shinobu acknowledged. "But you must understand, this isn't something that could easily be dismissed, we must also think of her situation." She gestured towards the blue eyed girl next to him. "Aoi is also a victim here. Virtue is everything to a lady and hers just got tarnished; not one, but two boys saw her naked from the bottom down and it could never be undone. Don't you think it would be unfair to her to just let it go as if it was nothing?"

"Well, no..." He had to admit. "But still, it was-"

"An accident, yes, you already explained to me." The pillar interrupted. "And I believe you, that's why you're not being punished out right and letting you atone in a way that let's you defend yourself."

Glancing at his side, he could see Aoi tightly gripping the fabric on her knees, her lips had a slight tremble to it and tears gathering at the edge of her eyes. It was obvious that the girl was suffering.

What was he doing!? He couldn't help but berate himself. She's crying because of him! Accident or not, he made a girl cry and all he could think about was himself! FOOL! He needs to take responsibility!

"Alright, I accept." He finally agreed with determination in his eyes, not noticing the evil smirk that formed in Aoi's lips.

Ha, he fell for it! She laughed cruelly inside her mind. That little pervert, she'll certainly make him pay for what he's done!

"Alright then!" Shinobu clapped. Pulling two objects from her haori, she continued. "You two will be using these shinai swords (Bamboo swords used at kendo.) For your match. Don't want you darlings ending up killing each other now do we?"

Aoi nodded, she had no complain, though, it seems the same couldn't be said for the yellow haired boy.

"Er, excuse me." He pointed at the... green thing... in his hand. "I think there's something weird with my sword."

The pillar squinted her eyes and took a closer look, searching for anomalies with laser like focus of a medical professional. "Hmm, I don't see any problem with it." She concluded.

"IT'S A LEEK!" Zenitsu screamed in outrage. "IT'S NOT A SWORD AT ALL! IT'S A FREAKING LEEK! DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FIGHT WITH A LEEK!? WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THIS!?"

"Oh my, you're right!" The woman cupped her face, gasping in a clearly exaggerated surprise. "How silly of me, I must have given it to you by mistake." She giggled, reaching inside her haori once more. "This is what I meant to give you."

She handed him his new sword... A shorter and greener one.

"THIS IS A CUCUMBER!" Zenitsu stomped a foot angrily at the ground. "Stop joking around! Do you really enjoy tormenting people that much!? Why are you like this!? Who hurt you!?"

"Well, it started several years ago, there's this boy that I liked, though, he's a bit of a jerk and wouldn't talk to me unless I-"

"Alright, alright!" The boy threw his hands up in frustration. "I'll use the damn vegetables! Geez, you don't have to start monologuing about some made up story."

Shinobu stared into the distance, eyes vacant. "Yes... Made up." The pillar snapped out immediately and addressed the two. "If you two don't mind, shall we begin?"

The two combatants move into position at the center of the dojo. Aoi simply held in front of her and Zenitsu assumed an awkward dual wielding stance, the leek in his right hand and the cucumber on the left.

Zenitsu gritted his teeth. Protect himself, his ass! That sadistic devil of a woman intended for this to be a one sided beat down from the start! He gripped his 'weapons' tighter and steeled his resolve. If they thought that having vegetables for weapons would deter him, then they are sorely mistaken. He's not going down without a fight!

"Ready?" The pillar signaled. "Begin!"

Aoi was on him in an instant, faster than he had anticipated, with her sword raised for an overhead strike.

He instinctively raised his right arm in panic, only to realize his mistake as the girl brought her sword down and the leek he was holding immediately snapped.

Oh crap!

He barely escaped injury as his training kicked in and he managed to dodge by leaping to the side at the last second.

Damn it! He's off on a bad start, they had barely even began and he already lost one of his weapons! Though, now that he think about it, he wasn't sure how much damage he could inflict with a leek, anyway. It's not like it wouldn't snap too if he hit the girl with it.

He willed himself back into focus as the blue eyed girl continued her assault.

"Stay still dammit!" Aoi ordered frustratedly as she swung furiously at the boy and him somehow managing to dodge every single time. It really pisses her off! Fueled by her rage, she increased the tempo of her swings.

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"Woah, he's doing pretty well!"

One of the triplets commented from the sidelines and Kanao was inclined to agree.

Afraid to fight or not, Aoi wasn't exactly lazy with her training. While her skills were only average in hunter standards, a mere child shouldn't be able to give her a hard time.

She narrowed her eyes and watched closely. The moves he was pulling, they were instinctual. He was moving without thinking and those kind of reflexes wasn't something people could just have, it was trained through muscle memory.

She felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. For him to be able dodge this well, she wondered how many time he got beaten to imbed those skills through his flesh.

Just who is he? Kanao was becoming more curious.

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Zenitsu almost shrieked as the sword sailed too close to his face for comfort.

This is bad, he's already getting tired while Aoi wasn't showing any sign of slowing down. He silently cursed as he ducked another swing to his head. He needs to act soon and fast! He can't dodge forever, he had to counter attack at some point. What can he do, though? All he have is a broken leek and a cucumber!

It would be difficult, but it looks like he have no other choice. He had to do something he has never done before.

Use his brain and strategize.

Nodding to himself, he made his move. Alright, let's see if this works.

Zenitsu launched the leek towards Aoi's face, forcing her to cover her eyes. Taking it as his chance, he jumped backwards and put as much distance as he could from the girl. He was already a few meters away by the time Aoi restored her vision.

He breathed deeply, trying to recover as much as he could with the small time he had bought himself, though, to his surprise, the twin tailed nurse remained in place, eying him cautiously. He stared in confusion. Um, okay?

Aoi watched him carefully. She read his file and knows about his only form. Thunderclap and flash, a quick slash attack using the momentum from a lightning fast dash. Even if Shinobu-san told her his body is currently too weak to perfectly pull off such an attack, she won't lower her guard, just in case.

Deciding he was rested enough, Zenitsu began to move forward.

Aoi raised a brow at that. "Oh, you're approaching me? Instead of running away?" She in an almost mocking tone, but didn't lower her sword. Either he was being stupid or he has something planned.

"The cucumber's too short." Zenitsu smirked. "I can't hit you with it unless I get really close."

"Alright then, come as close as you like."

Well, if you say so...

With a burst of speed, Zenitsu was suddenly within Aoi's guard, showcasing his speed as a thunder breath user.

He's too close! She can't raise her sword fast enough! Aoi could do nothing but watch in growing panic as the blonde brought green vegetable to her head.

Zenitsu inhaled. "Improvised breath; veggie breathing, first form..." Slamming the cucumber down with all his strength, he continued. "CUCUM-BURST DEATH STRIKE!"

_ To be continued..._

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**Yes, I'm resorting to memes now.**


	9. Chapter 9

Zenitsu inhaled. "Improvised breath, veggie breathing, first form. Cucum-burst death strike!" The vegetable exploded on impact, coating Aoi's head with juices and tiny chunks of cucumber.

Everyone in the dojo was speechless, surely in awe and amazed at his impressive technique. Zenitsu couldn't help but smirk, he bet he looked really cool just now.

It didn't even take a second before his delusions was shattered into sad little pieces as he was suddenly hit with colossal amounts of serious killing intent.

"You..."

A voice as cold as ice spoke and suddenly every hair in Zenitsu's body stood up; getting goose bumps as he experienced a terrifying chill up his spine.

Fearfully, he looked up, meeting Aoi's gaze. Her eyes were like glaciers: cold, harsh and unforgiving, promising pain and regret on whoever dare challenge it.

It seems that her mood just evolved from 'Pissed off' to 'Murderous rage'... Crap.

He had to get out of there, and fast!

La-bub*

He was about to leap away and escape, when suddenly he felt a twinge in his head.

What is this? What's going on? He's head was throbbing and he could see static at the edge of his vision.

No way... could it be... the side effect of using his brain more than he was accustomed to?

Using 'Full Focus Thinking' to come up of that awesome name for his killer move must have overstrained his brain to its limit!

This isn't good. He had to get away, but his body wouldn't move! He could only watch in dismay as the blue eyed girl raise her sword above her head. If that blow connects, it will surely be over for him!

His words were proven prophetic as he felt a powerful impact on his head and his world faded to black.

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Aoi heaved out a sigh, trying relieving some of the tension in her body.

"Are you satisfied now?' Shinobu asked.

"Yes."

Not really...

To be honest, she wanted to smack the yellow haired pervert some more, but the triplets were watching and she wanted to set up a good example for them. If possible, she want the three of them growing up not to be violent women.

If they continue being their sweet little selves, surely they wouldn't have trouble getting married.

Unlike their hopeless big sisters, who are probably going to die alone because men are too scared of them, it's still not too late for these little ones...

Letting out another sigh, Aoi decided to haul the useless blonde's unconscious body in to the infirmary.

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End file.
